


Rocks

by Goldielochs



Category: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Lore Olympus (Webcomic)
Genre: F/M, Marriage Proposal, Pomegranates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-20
Updated: 2019-08-03
Packaged: 2020-07-09 10:29:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19886122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goldielochs/pseuds/Goldielochs
Summary: AKA "If You Like It"Another older story previously published on other sites under the title "If You Like It"





	1. Hi

Persephone arrived with enough time to visit Cerberus at the gates for a quick pat. She pulled a treat out from under her jacket. "I made this just for you." She waved it in front of the far left head that bent down low to the ground for her. He huffed and her jacket whipped up with his gigantic breath. "Don't worry. I made enough." She pulled out two more and the other heads nipped at the air expectantly. While he licked up the baked treats, she scratched his neck. "Now don't tell Hades about this, yeah? Our little secret." The middle head booped her forehead with a large wet nose. She giggled. "Good boy." Hugging his thick neck, she whispered into his fur. "I've missed you." Her words came out as dolcet hums. "It's good to be back." She was starting to get used to the dark days and the cool air. So much so, that this return--even though she was only gone a few days-- felt like coming home. She sighed. "See you later, big guy. I'll bring more treats." A loud thump on the floor, as Cerberus's tail flopped happily.

She stepped towards the elevator. "Hi Mirella." She greeted the red imp. No one had ever cared to ask her name before. Though she left a terrible tip, Mirella did have a soft spot for Persephone. She made her feel seen. In a job where no one looked at her, and a being where she was easily overlooked, Persephone saw her, called her by name, made her feel like more than just "the imp who pushes the buttons." Which is why Mirella decided to help keep her secret. She'd seen them. Right before the doors open, or as they're leaving-- right before the door closes; when he thinks no one is watching; Her hand in his pocket; His hand on her arm. A stray glance. A knowing grin. Trying to hide it, but after all this time, it probably wasn't much of a secret anymore. Still, Mirella wasn't going to say nothing. Scout's honor.

"Level 91 please." Persephone checked her hair in the mirror.

"Yes, Ma'am." Mirella flew up to the button.

As the doors began to close Thanatos ran up. "Hold the elevator!"

Persephone raised her eyebrows and stopped Mirella from the "open door" button.

"Oops." Persephone waved as Thanatos's angry face was eclipsed by the closing metal. "Sorry Princess, I'm late for a meeting." She shrugged.

As the elevator moved up, she laughed delightedly. Sobering up, she glanced at Mirella. "I'm normally very nice. But he's an asshat. And that was fun."

Politely, keeping her mouth shut, Mirella nodded.

When the doors opened, she set her bags down by her desk and checked her messages. She was starting her new assignment today and wanted to make sure she left everything with a clean slate, and tied off all the loose ends from her journey abroad. A notification popped up on her computer.

"Meeting in 5 Minutes: Quarterly Evaluation"

Persephone tilted her head. "Huh?" She pulled out her appointment book. "I don't have anything written down for--" A smile spread after she clicked the link on the calendar.

"Where: Hade's office. Notes: I've missed you."

Leaning back in her chair, she swiveled around deliriously. She heard the elevator door open and Thanatos stormed in, angry eyes pointed at her. "Hey. What's with the door?"

"Pay back."

"I knew you didn't have a meeting."

"Oh, but I do. With Hades." She got up importantly and flicked her coat up on her shoulders, fixing the diamond buttons. "Unlike you, when I say I'm running late for a meeting, I mean I'm cutting into my prep time. On time is late." She got up, heading towards the elevator when Hades brushed by.

"Oh there you are." Hades eyes brightened. His hands caught her arms as she nearly toppled over.

Persephone breathlessly greeted back, "Hi."

"Hi." He stared down into her eyes meaningfully.

"Hi." Persephone collected herself, fully seeing Hades.

"Hi." Hades hands tensed on her shoulders.

"Hiii." Thanatos waved from his desk. "I'm here too."

"Sit down." Hades ordered, never tearing his eyes away from Persephone.

"I thought our meeting was in your office." Persephone batted her eyelashes, forgetting all about Thanatos who huffed as he leaned back in his chair.

"It is." Hades nodded slowly. "It is. But I couldn't wai--" He paused. "Couldn't wait for the printer in my office." He cleared his throat. "You see, I needed to print off your reports." He leaned against one of the cubicles, trying to be cool. "But uh," The soft wall collapsed and he took a moment to straighten out again. "But, well, my printer ran out of ink. So I-"

"Came down here." Persephone finished.

"Yes." Hades fidgeted with his pockets.

"Oh my gods." Thanatos grumbled and pushed his chair back, dipping back into his work space. "The copy room is down the hall on the left." What he was really saying was "Get a room."

"I can show you." Persephone skipped around Hades. She looked back to make sure he was following her, but that was never out of the question.

"Morning, Aggie." Persephone waved to her fellow co-workers. "Morning, Konith." They all waved back cheerily then froze as they saw Hades just a few steps behind.

"M-m-morning." They blinked, too shocked that they didn't notice Persephone's trailing hand wrapped around Hades' index finger, pulling him forward.

"Ladies." Hades nodded.

Coming from her office Styx graced the floor. "Oh! Hades. Do you have a moment? I have some more complaints I'd like to report about--"

"He's busy." Persephone smiled, shielding him with her small frame.

Styx's face soured. "With what?"

"Copies." Hades found the door labeled "Printer and Paper Supplies" and swung it open. "I have a lot of copies to make." He began to push Persephone inside.

"Yes. So many many copies." Persephone nodded.

"It might take all morning."

"Lots of copies." Persephone added.

As he shut the door, Hades waved a hand out. "Carry on."

Styx rolled her eyes. "Who do I go to to complain about that?" She muttered under her breath. "All morning." Styx stomped back into her office.

With the door now closed, they were finally alone.

"Hi." Persephone blushed.

"Hi." Hades knelt down, grabbing her hand. He looked her over like he had a search warrant. "I've missed you."

"I missed you too." Persephone threw herself into his arms. He held the back of her head, cradling her whole body onto him.

"Have your hands always been this small?" Hades eyes shimmered as he picked her hand up into his. She laughed at his utterly bewildered expression. "So tiny." He muttered to himself. Then quickly his hands nestled by her cheeks. His thumbs roamed through her eyebrows and down her nose. "Has your nose always been this cute?"

Persephone scrunched her face up into a huge smile. Hades hands covered her whole face then, as if to imprint her expression onto him. He gasped suddenly, intoxicated by her eyes. "Have your eyes always been so--"

"Hades." Persephone plucked his left hand from her face. "It's only been three days. Have you forgotten entirely what I look like?"

"You're always more beautiful than I can remember." He whispered into the top of her head, planting a sweet kiss.

"You know. You're just as I remember you." Persephone grinned.

"Oh?"

"Mhm. Kind and gentle." She combed his hair back, the way he liked it. "Warm and sweet. Strong and safe." She sighed and leaned into his chest. "It's good to be home." She dug her arm under his and wrapped around his back.

Hades eyebrows shot up.

Persephone blinked, catching what she had just said. "I mean. Back. Back at work." She bit her lip.

Swinging down suddenly, Hades kissed her, releasing her tension. Their lips locked together as if magnets. So delicate and bold all at once. This, Hades did remember. Still each time, though familiar, it felt new again. A wave of good fortune he didn't understand overwhelmed him. "It's good to have you home." He whispered, leaning his forehead against hers.

Persephone cleared her throat. "So, about my review." A glint shined in her eye as she stood up, pushing herself off of Hades. "You need copies of my reports, right?"

Hades raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Oh, that was just a rou--"

Persephone lifted the scanner lid and hopped up onto the printer. The bright white light flashing beneath her thighs.

"Yes, well." Hades straightened his tie. "I'll need to do a quick once over of those reports." He said eagerly, catching on.

Persephone grinned, snatching his tie in her hands. "I've got 'em here for you. On these spreadsheets." She spread her legs open. A wry smile crept up his face and Hades closed the gap between them.

\----------------------------------

Persephone woke up the next morning with a huge slobbery tongue and a warm wet nose on her forehead. "Oh, good morning, Cerberus." She blearily patted his head. "Oh, okay-okay. That's good. That's enough." She laughed, but then closed her mouth quickly as he was still very much licking her face.

A large blue hand picked up Cerberus's whole body. Hades lifted his dog into the air with one hand. "Hey. Where's my good morning kiss?" Cerberus just whined.

Persephone rolled over and planted a huge wet kiss on his forehead, dog slobber dripping off. "There it is."

"Oh my gods." Hades groaned, wiping the slobber off his face. A muffled laughter as Persephone turned over. "Hey, get back here."

Persephone shimmied away. "No, my face has magic dog slobber on it. I have to go wash it."

"Mine does too. And it's your fault."

Persephone managed to wrangle away from his hands. She stood up and adjusted his shirt down her thighs. "I'm sorry for ruining your morning with my LOVE."

"With your what?"

Persephone blinked and then turned and ran towards the bathroom. Hades leaped out of the bed and chased after her.

"With your what?" He repeated.

"Oh my gods, it was a joke." Persephone covered her face in embarrassment.

"Sure. But was it?" Hades tilted his head to the side. Something like glee played around his lips.

"Oh my gods, I do not want to have this conversation right now with dog slobber on my face and morning breath." She turned back to the bathroom, grabbing his hand.

Together they brushed their teeth. Persephone and Hades kept catching each other's eyes in the mirror. Her heart started racing.

Why did it just slip out? Love. Oh my gods. She said love and it was . . . a dumb bit. The first time she mentioned love and. . . oh gods. Persephone stared at her reddening face as she washed it. Hades handed her a clean towel. After she patted dry, she held the towel to her face. She could feel him on the other side. Looking at her. Waiting. Waiting for her to say the thing she's been holding back from. Waiting for her to say the thing that she can't take back.

She did though and she absolutely knew it. She loved him. She couldn't help it. Love isn't just some feeling but an action. This wasn't just some passive want or lust. It went against everything to be with him and she didn't care. No. She did care, and she wanted to see it through. That's love. It hurt sometimes to love him. She'd already sacrificed things, friendships, other people's expectations. They didn't know it yet and maybe they never would, but she couldn't stop, even if she wanted to. She knew it, despite never feeling this way before, she knew she never would feel this way about anyone. It was Hades. It was always him. From that morning he introduced himself. It was him. Now she was waking up here, on purpose, in his bed. And she couldn't be happier.

"Persephone?" Hades asked, concerned as she was still buried under the towel.

But she thought her confession would be more than this: In the bathroom on a weekday morning.

With a sigh, she moved the towel away and like she expected, Hades had leaned down a few inches from her face.

"I love you." He admitted, his bewildered eyes shining, like he'd never seen a woman before.

"No!" Persephone huffed and Hades eyes fell. "You can't say that. I was gonna say that." She poked his chest. "I love you."

"Oh." Hades breathed. "You do?"

"Of course I do." Persephone leaned into a natural hug. "I was kind of waiting to tell you in. . . a place that. . . wasn't your bathroom. I was thinking like, maybe a field of flowers, or a waterfall, or even just in the right moment on a car ride." She shut up quickly as Hades mouth found hers.

"I love you." He cherished. "I love you." He kissed her again. " I love you in my bathroom. In that field of flowers." He kissed her forehead. "Behind a waterfall." He kissed her nose. "Or on a car ride. I love you. Everywhere. Anywhere. Here. I love you." He grabbed her hands in his and they just stared into each other's eyes for a moment the way lovingly gross couples do. Persephone blushed. "And now." Hades straightened out and grabbed her shoulders. He stared determinedly into her eyes, seeing something in them. "And now, I have to go."

Abruptly, he walked out of the bathroom and started getting his clothes on.

"Wait. What?" Persephone blinked, still catching up to what just happened in the last thirty seconds. "I thought we would ride together."

He skipped the tie and put on a casual blazer. "I have to head into Olympus today."

"But." Persephone pouted. "We just. . ."

Hades finished putting on his shoes and wrapped Persephone up into a strong kiss. "I love you, Kore."

"But you're leaving?" She whimpered.

"It's important." His face twisted into an odd expression. "You can take whatever car you want in today. I'm sorry. I'll explain later." Hades kissed her forehead one last time, lingering, then rushed out to the garage, phone in hand.

Persephone stood alone in his bedroom, still wearing his shirt from yesterday. "We didn't even have 'I love you' sex." She heard his car roar off. "You didn't even feed your dogs!" She griped. "80 percent!" She yelled into the empty house. Cerberus trotted to her. "Not you. You're a good boy."

She timbered back against the bed and stared up at the crystal ceiling. "That's not how I thought any of this would go down." She sighed. After contemplation a smile crept up her face. "He said he loves me."

Cerberus licked her face again and Persephone just let it happen.


	2. Tea Time

"UNCLE HADES!" Hebe greeted at the oversized golden leafed door. "I thought it was my brother locked out again. Wait. Are you in trouble? Is it a holiday? Why are you here?" She asked with the curiosity of a child, a thousand questions always on her tongue.

On the palace landing, Hades swung her in the air. "Hello, little one." Hades held her out in front of him so they could see eye to eye. Hades didn't like all his nieces and nephews, but he adored Hebe.

"Are you here to see mom or dad?" She wiped her nose on her long sleeve dress.

"No." Hades answered. "I'm here to see you. I thought we could have a tea party?"

"Really?" Hebe squirmed in his arms.

"Really really."

"Well, I'll have to check my calendar." Hebe mirrored her mother's favorite phrase. Then a smile broke out and she pulled her Uncle Hades into the palace.

\-----

"Would you like some more tea, your majesty." Hades offered an empty kettle.

"Why thank you, yes, it would give me so much joy. I would be most grateful, your majesty." Hebe dipped her head politely. "No, no. Not like that." She took the teapot from him. "Like this." She poured.

"Oh, sorry." Hades apologized. He scooted forward on the red flower cushion Hebe took from her bed to use as seating at her play table.

"So." Hebe set the teapot down. "What seems to be the problem?" She folded her hands under her chin like she'd seen her father do during deep discussions.

Hades looked at her stuffed animals. "Okay, let's say if," He reached for the sheep and the horse. "Mr. Sheep loved Ms. Horse."

"That's Philip and thats Charles." Hebe corrected.

"Right." Hades nodded. "Say Philip and Charles were in love."

"But Philip is in love with Noran." Hebe countered.

"But this is just pretend, Hebe. Let's pretend Philip and Charles are in love, yes?"

"Okay." Hebe huffed. "This is silly. But I'll pretend."

"And let's say Charles is well, let's say he lives under the bed, right? But Philip lives and needs to work on the pillows. Do you see the problem?"

"No."

"Well, Charles is lonely under the bed and wants to live with Philip."

"Well then he should just. . . do that." Hebe answered simply.

"But he can't." Hades explained. "He has to stay under the bed."

"Why?"

"Because he owns it."

Hebe tapped her chin. "You can't own the space under the bed."

"Let's say Charles does."

"Uncle Hades, you're being very confusing." Hebe took a sip of tea. "We're not talking about Charles and Philip are we?"

"Hebe, what if I want to m-m-marry her? I mean. What if Charles wants to marry Phillip. What should he do?" Hades rubbed his temples, an emotion welling up he hasn't been able to swallow down.

Hebe took another sip and thought about it. "Hades. I'm pretty smart but I'm only nine years old."

"I know you have an opinion." Hades leaned forward and booped Hebe's nose. "It runs in the family. But of everyone. . . you're the most unselfish with yours. What should Charles do?"

She swallowed another gulp. "I think. I think Charles needs to discuss it with Philip. Maybe Philip can live under the bed and just commute up to the pillows every day. Or something I don't know. If they really love each other," Hebe said while she poured some more tea into Hades cup. "They'll make it work."

"But what if every other stuffed animal is against it?" Hades nearly broke the tea cup in his large shaking hand.

"Well, I don't think that's true. And besides." She touched Hades hands. "The ones who do mind. . ." She said very seriously. "Fuck 'em."

The door swung open and Hera appeared with a cigarette in her hand. "Did I just hear my youngest daughter cussing?" She blew a thick column of smoke into the room then tilted her head towards Hades. "You." Her eyes narrowed. "What the fuck is going on here?"

\-------------------------

The view from the veranda gave Hades and Hera the perfect vantage point for the sprawling hills to the east, the high rises of the city center, and to the west, the shores of the infinity lake. Hera passed Hades her cigarette, but he was too busy admiring the small budding flowers in the garden below to notice Hera's offering. Blue-violet Morning Glories bloomed open in the golden soft light of the new sun. Normally when he visits, these flowers were closed off, sheltering themselves from the oppressive night. A twinge of guilt settled in his belly.

"So." Hera started, leaning against one of the columns, observing him like one of her birds. "I assume you didn't come all this way just to drink tea with the royal cup bearer."

Hades held his hand out, just barely touching the morning glory's petal. At his slightest pressure, the flower began its journey of folding in on itself, coiling back. He sighed. "You always like to make assumptions, don't you."

"Well, it's not like I have anything better to do." Hera muttered bitterly. She flicked her cigarette to the side and it vanished with a fading sparkle.

"Why d--" A question started to escape from Hades mouth before he choked it back down. He hung his head and leaned his fist against the edge of the veranda. A question he'd smothered down for the past 500 years--or was it longer?-- a question he didn't know to ask until she did. "W-Why . . ." He stopped himself again, his mouth wobbled with a sickening familiar twitch. Best not to say anything at all.

"Huh?" Hera stepped closer, seeing the frown lines appear on his forehead. He shook his head silently. "For fucks sake, what's--" Hera took a deep breath. She knew she had a sharp edge to her; a defense mechanism and a product of overlooked boredom. When everyone wanted to be your friend, it's easy to forgot what it took to keep one. "What's really going on, blue boy?" Her voice softened to a low ember. His silence stretched on immeasurably. "Persephone?" Hera guessed. "Oh." Hera nodded. Of course this was about Persephone. Before they started dating, she had wrapped herself up into their relationship. She was the one that pushed them together out of guilt and spite. She was the one he called after their first kiss and their first fight. "Listen, it's not the end of the world. I know you really liked her, but some things just aren't meant to be."

He laughed harshly. "Wait." He turned. "What do you think happened?"

"She. . . well, she must have broken up with you."

Hades hung his head again, his hair flopping forward.

"That bad, huh?" Hera stepped closer to comfort him.

"Oh, it's much worse than that, bunny." He strung a hand through his hair, trying to tame it back, but only succeeded in making it all the more unruly.

"I'm sorry, Hades. I feel like this is all my fa--"

"We're in love." He groaned. His words hung in the air and they breathed them in for a full breath.

"What?" Hera tilted her head. "Oh! But. That's. . . good isn't it?"

"No." Hades shook his head. "No. It's not good, Hera. Think about it. What you just thought --that we had broken up-- THAT made sense right?" Hades started pacing. "Because why the Tartarus would we ever realistically be together. We're complete opposites. How could we work? It doesn't. . . it doesn't make any sense. She's. . . she's so traditional. And small. And kind. And soft. And I'm none of those things. None of them!" He said, his pacing quickening. "She's --I mean, for Gaia's sake, we can't even be seen together in public because of everyone's expectations. And then, you know. There's Demeter." Hades breathed and rubbed his temples. "Oh, and yeah, I forgot. How could I forget the most important part: She's barely an adult." He stopped pacing and folded over. "She's so new, and cheery. She's cheery! Have you seen the way her eyes light up when she's talking about something she's interested in? Or even, when she's talking to someone about their interests, not just her own. Who does that? Who cares like that?! She's so nice to a fault and," He breathed. "How could I do this to her? How could I sequester her away from the light." He stared back at the morning glories. " I've seen too much. I'm old and mean and she doesn't need to tie herself to someone like me. We don't run in the same circles. We don't make sense." He started pacing again. "We were brushing our teeth together this morning and I just couldn't stop staring at our reflections, standing side by side. Oh, Hera, it's utterly ridiculous that it's gone this far. Completely, irresponsible." He shrugged into a patio chair, his whole body deflating into the white ironwork.

"Hades, what are you saying?" Hera asked, the gravel in her voice smoothed out to a clear tone. She'd never heard him say so many words all at once. Hades was alway the man of little words, but big actions. He didn't talk much, but everything he said was important. Now, with so many worries bubbling out like a waterfall, Hera couldn't see past the deluge at the heart of the matter.

"Oh, come on, Hera." Hades slid his eyes over to her. "Surely, you of all people know exactly what I'm saying."

Or perhaps she could see the heart of the matter. The matter of Hades heart. And she didn't know what to do about it.

She sat across from him on the patio table, letting his words resonate in her head for a bit. She wasn't used to this. Hera wasn't used to seeing her plans. . . actually work. When she had sent the girl into Hade's arms she didn't intend for it to stick. She had given him the opportunity to prove himself, but she never actually considered that he would prevail. Her long-term vision was short sighted at best. And yet, here she was staring at her oldest best friend in the world, and seeing the grief of his victory.

His victory was the honor of ripping his own heart out and entrusting it to someone else, and in return he held the fragile beating heart of the other. A terrible responsibility. But the greatest one there is.

Hera gasped and looked away. Something hot stung her eye.

Hera wasn't a love god. She didn't consort with Aphrodite and Eros and the other minor gods and goddesses of love. They laughed and played and made merry. They could be frivolous and carefree. But not Hera. She was the goddess of commitment, loyalty, seeing it through, through thick and through thin, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death.

The yellow morning light had intensified to bright and unrelenting. Uncomfortable with the midday heat, the morning glories had all closed up to rest until tomorrow. The soft sounds of a new day faded away into an eerie quiet.

"Hera." Hades leaned forward. Not to be hidden any longer, the question he couldn't ask before wormed its way back to the surface. "Hera, why did you neglect me?"

\------------------------------------------------

"And he needs his medication administered at 2pm. Don't forget. He's a real nightmare if he doesn't get it." Persephone scrambled to keep Russel from tearing at her jacket. "Worse than he already is. Though, I'm sure you guys are well aware. We're very grateful for your service. I couldn't imagine the state of the couches if you weren't available."

"Yes, ma'am." The employee of the local doggy daycare took Cordon Blu's leash and helped Persephone wrangle Russell out of her arms. This was the first time she'd done this task alone, but she'd seen it on Hades schedule every morning and accompanied him last week, before her assignment. The employee eyed Persephone strangely and gulped. "Um, ma'am?"

"Yes...Rogin, isn't it?" She eyed his name tag.

He blushed. "Yes, ma'am." He looked around the room, hesitating. "Are you going to be bringing Cordon Bleu and Russell in from now on?" At his feet, Cordon Bleu started biting at his boots, but he didn't even notice.

"Oh." Persephone blinked. "I'm--not really--" The hopeful expression on his face made her grin. "Would you prefer that I do?"

He nodded silently.

"Hmm. I'll see what I can arrange." Then she leaned in closer and spoke in an audible whisper. "Don't let Hades scare you. He wears pink underwear." She winked at Rogin's frazzled disposition. "You didn't hear that from me now, you understand?"

"Y-yes, ma'am." Rogin grinned and waved as Persephone exited the facility.

Cerberus' tail wagged as she came out. He waited patiently in the passenger seat of the matte black Aston Martin for his dumb brothers to be put in dog jail for the day.

She looked back at the doggy day care and then back at the car. She spun the car keys in her hand, an idea hatching in her mind. As she got into the driver's seat, a wicked grin pulled the corner of her lips up. "You know with these royal tags. . . we could technically go anywhere." Her eyebrows lifted. "Since the King is playing hooky today. . . why can't we?" She buckled in and checked the rear view mirror. "What say you, Cerberus. Up for an adventure?"

\--------

She arrived at the portal. Security passed her through after checking her plates. Cerberus was a good a recommendation as they come. If Cerberus allowed it, then whoever rode with him could go anywhere they wanted.

The car edged up along the platform. Lights turned on, reacting to their presence. "Where should we go?" She leaned forward, crossing her arms on the steering wheel. "We could go anywhere. We could see the top of Mount Olympus, or we could visit Amphitrite in the depths of the sea. Oooh, what about checking out the 7 wonders of the world?" She looked back at Cerberus. "Well? What do you think, huh?"

The lights turned off and Persephone could smell magic in the air. "Alright. Decision time." She closed her eyes and thought about all the places she wanted to visit. She felt the car vibrate. She felt herself vibrate. Cerberus whined and tried to climb into Persephone's lap. Loud noises that she couldn't describe raked through her. Tearing her apart and then stitching her together again.

She blinked and the sun hit her eyes viciously. Cicadas screamed somewhere off in the distance. The sound of a soft ocean wave drifted in from the right, but Persephone knew it wasn't water. The car she'd been driving had transformed into a chariot, led by four black horses. Their long hair cascading down to their hooves, that pawed at the soft dirt. They clinked their harnesses as their skin twitched to scare off the flies. Cerberus jumped out of the chariot, nose to the ground, sniffing up and consuming as much data about their surroundings as he could.

Persephone stood up slowly, taken aback. Of all the places she could have gone.

She came home. Another home.

Just as she imagined, to the right; the field of wheat waving in the wind, creating a quiet rustling like the tides of the ocean. Beyond it, there is a tree house she built when she was 9 and from it see pretended she could see the whole world from her perch. To the right, a path led down to the river banks, where she used to bathe and gossip with the local nymphs.

She swallowed something in her throat. Her house. Her mom's house. The house of her childhood. Staring up at the plantation home, she suddenly felt so small again. Her roots were buried beneath the floorboards, deeper than the oldest tree.

She stepped forward lightly. As she did the yellowing grass bounced back to young crisp green. Their soft blades leaned towards her, wanting more. Quietly she climbed up the steps and peered inside the window on the porch. Her heart raced as her hands clasped around the window to her old bedroom. She tumbled inside quickly, one foot after the other. She felt like a trespasser. A thief in her own home.

Nothing had changed in her bedroom. And yet, she felt foreigner inside of it. The room didn't change, but she, Persephone did. A tear welled up in her eye, seeing all the things she used to love. All the things that had died inside of her as time went on. The wave of happy memories, felt like a sharp knife, because she knew she could only view them from a glass wall, from a distance. She picked up a stuffed bunny, her hands trailing on her books.

It wasn't so long ago. A blink in the eye for gods, but her world was contained in that blink and now it was ending. She blinked and she'd missed it, time running through her hands like sand and she couldn't pick it back up again.

Cerberus barked by the chariot. A deep and powerful growl. Persephone dashed to the window to see his lips pull back and sharp canines foreshadowed a deadly end to those that vexed him.

A tall shadow marched forward, regardless. Her green hand crossed in front of her chest, closing her robe more tightly around herself. Demeter. The goddess of harvest, of sacred law, and of agriculture. The goddess that patched up Kore's knees when she fell. The goddess that sang her to sleep when she was sick. The goddess that taught her everything she knew.

"Mom." Persephone whispered, wanting to run to her. But the window slammed shut, nearly crushing her fingers.

Demeter spun towards the sound. "Hades." She raised her eyebrow. "Come on, Hades. I know you're here. It's about time you answered me. I know I'm not the easiest person to get a hold of, but--"

Persephone raced to the door and swung it open. She stood on the top step, balancing on her tiptoes and teetering forward.

"Mom!" Persephone leaped down the stairs and into her arms.

"Kore?" Demeter gasped. "Kore, is it really you?"

"Ugh." She pulled away. "I told you to stop calling me that." Demeter tugged her daughter into a hug all the more intensely. "Oh baby, I've missed you."

So much had happened since she left this house. So much had gone unsaid. So many nights had passed where Persephone wished she were where she is right now, clinging to her mom.

"I've missed you too, mom." In her mother's arms, she could almost forget. She could almost feel like a child again. Like her room, Demeter hadn't changed. Strong, sturdy, caring and protective. "Oh mom." She sighed and collapsed into her.

"What's wrong?"

It felt like old times again. Sitting together, watching the sun cast heat waves in the air, feeling the sweat on their skin as they talked about their opinions. What mattered in the world. Right and wrong. The small things and big things. Just the two of them against the world. Sipping tea and sharing secrets. Nothing but love between them. Her mom always had her back, always supported her, pushed her to better things. Wanting the world for Persephone. And Persephone found it for herself.

"Momma, can I tell you a secret?" She smiled.

"Of course."

"You're the only one I really want to share this with." She imagined them on the swing set, with the fireflies lighting up the navy night. "It's why I'm here." Persephone understood it now. Why the portal took led her home. This was why. "I want to tell you." Her big eyes shined up at Demeter, showing her heart on her sleeve. "Momma, I've fallen in love."

Demeter held a vacant expression.

Then Persephone blinked. And her world ended.


	3. Prayer

A long time ago, when the chaos had settled, and their wounds had stopped bleeding, the six of them stared off into the world below them. A world new and wild. A world in need of guidance and nurturing. A world that was theirs to shape and preside over.

Now that the battle was over, their responsibilities to their soldiers and warriors didn't end there. This was only the beginning.

Hera would never forget the day. She'd sacrificed and fought alongside them. She helped Zeus and his brothers vanquish their father and the rest of the titans. Weary, tired, and running on empty, he treated her with kindness, wanting nothing more than to make her feel seen. They would call him the Unseen One in the days ahead, when the stories of their battle and triumph would be recorded down and taught, sung, written about, and celebrated. But it was that quiet moment, a moment no one wrote poems about, or painted on pottery, that Hera cherished most. After all the bloodshed and death, she felt hope in their abilities to lead with grace. She felt hope that these brothers would not just be another reincarnation of their parent's folly. Hera felt safe, knowing she picked the right side. Confident that these men would lead more dutifully than their predecessors, she helped them reshape their world and order.

And she never got the chance to thank him for giving her that moment.

On her white patio chair, Hera swallowed back a lump in her throat. "Why did you neglect me?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Hera snatched her sunglasses out of thin air and pushed them high up on her nose, sniffing. Her mind raced with the last 2000 years, flashing images. Moments that she missed. Moments she ignored.

Hades' red eyes pierced into hers, trying to see what she did in her head. He didn't want to have this conversation now, but the words were out and they couldn't be erased. "Am I so horrible that you thought it better that I sit in my dark Kingdom alone?"

"What?" Hera gasped. "Horrible?"

"I must be." Hades voice rose. "I get it. I really do. I'm sure you wouldn't wish your enemy to stand by my side." He slunk further into the chair.

"Hades." Hera twirled a cigarette that popped into her hand. "I didn't think- I never thought--"

"Ah. So that's it." Hades sneered. "Now it makes sense. You didn't think about me. Why would you? Poor blue lonely Hades, working to death in the underworld." His body darkened. A shadow like wave spread through his hair. "It must have been so inconvenient whenever your thoughts led to me. What a sad interruption to your glamorous life in Olympus. Better to bury those thoughts, huh?-- so you wouldn't have to find yourself feeling guilty. So you wouldn't have to wonder how I'm doing, because you knew the answer to it and you just wanted to ignore it. Well, I'm sorry that my existence is so small that it's easier to forget I'm here. I never wanted this!" He stood up suddenly, his whole body shimmering black midnight. "I never wanted this life. For 2000 years I thought you were my closest friend so FUCK YOU for not thinking about me."

Hera stood up too, scraping her chair across the floor. "Don't you fucking dare blame this on me." She pointed a finger at him. "Don't you dare think that I'm responsible for whatever bullshit life you've made for yourself. So poor Hades." She patronized him. "POOR HADES INDEED. How sad you must be, ruling your own kingdom, having all the wealth in the world, working yourself to death in a job you, YOURSELF FUCKING created! POOR HADES!" She spat. "It's not MY fault that YOU decided to ignore us." Her arms began to glow. "It's not MY fault that YOU stopped coming over." The crown on her head sparkled with a bright light. "It's not MY fault that YOU sequestered yourself up like a hermit with your dogs and your cars and your booze. And it's not MY fault that YOU never tried to have anything more than your loneliness."

They stood across from each other, complete opposites, shadow and sunlight. "So how dare you, come into MY house and yell at me for not doing enough for you. You were my best friend and you--YOU Hades--are the one that walked away."

He stepped closer, like a black void closing in. "I had no choice, and you know that. He wanted me away from you."

Hera found something in his eyes that made her hold her tongue and took in a deep breath. "That was a long time ago, Hades."

"Your husband is a jealous man." Hades dimmed, the darkness softening.

Hera nodded in agreement. "Your brother is a lot of things." She cupped her hand to her forehead. She felt hot and near out of control. A cold glass bumped into her other hand. Hebe offering up a wine spritzer. She pushed a glass of whisky towards Hades and then ran out of sight before they could call her back.

"That child." Hera shook her head. "She hears too much."

"She's a good kid." Hades said. He looked at the place Hebe disappeared, his mind running a mile a minute, jumping to all the sour parts of his life. "I think I'm afraid."

"You? Afraid?" Hera raised her eyebrow, taking a much needed sip of her drink. "And what scares the king of the underworld?"

"Being a father." He admitted quietly. "I-I-I." His words got caught in his throat so he swallowed them down.

Hera looked up at him intensely. "I never pegged you for a family man."

"No." Hades choked up and he turned away from Hera. "You didn't."

Hera sighed, thinking of her hall of portraits. Hera and Zeus wrapped in each other's arms. Ares rubbing Hephaestus's hair to his annoyance. Eris moping in the corner. Eileithyia holding her baby sister Hebe up to the camera as if she were her own. Her sister-in-law Amphitrite holding up baby Triton with Poseidon by her side throwing a young Rhode up into the air. And Hades. Alone.

"You could have told me." Hera sighed.

"I wanted to, but. . ." Hades looked at his hands on the table. "I'm telling you now. Bunny, I want to marry her."

She nodded, quietly absorbing his words. Hera looked at her dear friend, weighing and measuring her next sentence. It was time to answer his question. "You--You were right. I'm sorry. All these years." Hera looked out over Olympus. "I didn't want to watch you turn into the husband mine did." Her words were slow and careful.

Hades grabbed her hand, emotion twisting up his face. "Oh, Hera."

She smiled sadly, a tear running down her cheek. "I love your brother so much. Though I have done nothing with my life but serve him and I didn't want--" She stopped herself. "I am Queen Hera. Married to the King of the Gods, but that does not make me his equal." She breathed. "It makes me his servent." She took another breath. "This isn't just about love, Hades. You, King of the Underworld, taking a wife. . . it's not so simple as running off into blissful romance."

Hades pulled Hera into his chest and hugged her. "I promise you, Hera." He held her shoulders to look in her eyes. "My wife, if she so accepts it, will never know of your burden. She will rule alongside me, not beneath me. I won't rule over her, but we will rule together. I wouldn't want it any other way."

Hera wrapped her arms around him. "Oh Hades." She cried. "Why did it have to be her?" A laugh bubbled up, breaking out. "Demeter is going to kill me." Hera shook her head and pulled away from him. "I'm. . . I'm happy for you. I really am." She smiled warmly. "You have my blessing."

Hades squeezed her hand. She wiped a tear from her cheek. "Oh! I have something for you." She led him away, off the veranda and down a hallway. "I've kept something of yours. And I suppose it's time to give them back."

_______________________________________________

Persephone blinked. A fresh breeze caressed her skin, an invisible force threading through her hair. The sea of tall untamed grass nodded into her, planting light kisses. The rough underside of their blades catching tension, holding on just a little longer. She exhaled so deeply, digging something up within her chest and expelling it, but what, she couldn't remember. This was her home. In the fields, the grass lashing at her bare ankles. The sun over head, baked in the sweat of a good long day. The sun overhead dried up the tear tracks on her cheeks.

Persephone blinked. She felt the crust on her lash line. She was crying? She blinked again. No, she couldn't be crying. What would she have to cry about? She had everything in the world she needed. Her life was complete. She had her mom, her animals, her fields of freedom and light. Everything she needed to be a goddess of servitude. She had everything she wanted. Her foot caught on a root and she swung her arms up to hold herself steady.

That's when she saw it. A peculiar flower. Her head tilted as she gazed upon the vibrant blue petal, a contrast to the muted barely, the warm pink azaleas, and pale white daisies. No, no other flower like this one grew. Even more odd still, this was not grown by her, or known by her.

Curious, Persephone bent down before it. "Hello, little stranger." Her fingers outstretched about to touch the delicate blue edges. "Who are you?" Instead she folded her finger back into her palm. "What are you doing in my garden?" Something about it, seemed familiar. Surely, she must have conjured this flower up earlier. It frustrated her that the answer alluded her. She should know every flower under the sun and yet here grows this precocious blue flower all alone. As if to taunt her.

Persephone blinked and her hand clasped around the stem. With determination she pulled and plucked the little flower out of the ground. As she did she felt her intestines get yanked up too. The flower's stem kept coming up out of the ground, but she felt like she was pulling her own gut through the dirt and twisting it straight.

She stood up uncomfortably, feeling woozy and nauseous. The blue petals were crushed in her palm. Shaking, she opened her fist. The broken and bruised petals of a lone forget-me-not.

Forget-me-not.

Forget what?

The ground started to shake.

What did she forget?

Where she plucked the flower, the earth began to sink in, opening up a cavern.

She couldn't remember.

The mouth of it growing wide, funneling the field into its depths bit by bit. To not fall in, she backed away hurriedly.

Something was wrong. She had to remember.

A roar like thunder sounded underground.

Come on, Persephone. What is it? What have you forgotten.

A dark shadow closing in. A dark shadow coming for her. A dark shadow coming to take her away.

It was on the tip of her tongue but the memories evaded her. She stood there unable to move, watching her fate barrel towards her. Up from the earth the shadow charged towards her and she was unable to move. A snarl erupted and a vicious growl grew into a harsh bark.

Persephone blinked. And this time her eyes opened. She sat up. But it wasn't her bed. No. It was her bed. Her old bed. A sleep that existed in her memory.

She jolted out, flinging the worn quilt to the side. A warm light streamed in from the window behind her and she made for the door. She jiggled the knob but it wouldn't open.

"Foolish girl." Echoes of her mother's voice hissed in her head. "After all I've done for you. This is what you make of yourself? A fool?" Her mother's arms had still been wrapped around her in an embrace. Her words cut quietly into her ear. Fragments of memory. The more she looked back into that moment, the more she felt like she was looking into a shattered mirror, the sharp edges pushing against her forehead. "It'll be alright." Her mother had whispered to her. "I'll keep you safe now."

She stepped towards her nightstand where a letter was delicately placed.

"Dear Persephone. I'm glad you decided to stay. I'll need all the help I can get for next harvest, and it'll be such a good image to have us working together again. Just like it should be. I've missed you terribly. I'll bring you food when you wake up. You had a nasty fall outside. You'll be okay. You're home now.

Love Mom."

The letter dropped from her hand. Something seemed off. She went for the door again, but it still wouldn't budge. This wasn't home. The air was too warm. The light was too bright. It was her old bedroom but everything was different. Her mom was trying to force her to stay the same but it was already too late. Persephone had grown out of her mason jar and she couldn't fit back in.

She felt off balance, like something was missing on her scale and she was tipping over the other side. As she tried for the window, her foot slipped on something and she barely caught herself. In the middle of her floor, poking out from a rug was a small blue rectangle. Like the dream, this small blue was out of place and unknown to her. Curiously, she picked the small card up.

"King of the Underworld

God of the Dead

God of Wealth:

Hades

Aidoneus

Dark Zeus

Dis

Plouton

Pluto"

Persephone gasped. The scales realigned. The weight balanced out again.

Hades. Hades. Hades.

Memories flooded through her, breaking down the sharp edges of her forgetfulness. Hades' hands as strong as atlas, carrying her body into crisp clean sheets, tucking her in. Hades' chest, like a security blanket she nuzzled in. Hades' wit in their conversation, making her laugh, and think. The way he listened to her intently, making her feel worth while. His gentleness in his eyes. His thick hair, that when she combed back a certain way, his eyes rolled back. Her Hades. She couldn't own him, but she owned the way she loved him.

And she had to get out of here. She had to go home.

She flipped his business card in her fingers, eyeing the last line.

\----------------------------------------------------------

Hades strode into the elevator, patting his jacket pocket for the thousandth time since leaving Hera's. "Hello, Mirella." He beamed down to the imp. "Level 99, please. If you will."

The imp perked up and smiled bashfully. He didn't start using her name until Persephone. There was a certain pep in the king's step today. She watched him leave the elevator. Three hours later that he usually arrives.

The new satyr assistant greeted him with the rundown for the day. His business suit fit loosely over his shaggy fur. He held his clipboard out awaiting Hades arrival.

"Don't worry, I've already moved the one meetings this morning to tomorrow. I went ahead and canceled the meeting with Charon you had this afternoon since I know those meetings only waste your time. I sent him a copy of his review from last year and just changed the dates to ease his mind."

"Anything else?" Hades questioned, never losing his pace up to his office.

"Oh, um." The satyr clip clopped alongside him. "Persephone didn't show up." He said nervously. "I called her but it just went to voicemail." Hades stopped on a dime and turned to him. "I assumed she was. . . with you."

"And why would you assume that?"

"Well." He rubbed his leg with his hoof nervously. "It wouldn't be. . ." He gulped. "The first time."

"Hmm." Hades puffed on his cigar in one hand and pulled out his phone in the other. "Do you have her school schedule?"

"No classes today, your majesty."

"Hmm." After the first ring, he heard her new more professional voicemail. A confident voice greeted his ears. "Hello. This is Persephone's number. I'm probably busy, because I am busy. If you'd like a response, please leave a short detailed message after the tone and I'll get back to you soon."

"Persephone. I just wanted to make sure you were--" He eyed his assistant and then turned his back to him to walk into his office alone. "I know I left in a hurry this morning and I apologize for that. I hope I didn't upset you. I was wanting to know if you wanted to go to dinner tonight to discuss. . . us." He felt the thing in his pocket grow in weight. "Call me back. I-I love you."

He waited a few minutes at his desk, staring at his large wall painting. It was time for a change of scenery. Something brighter. More natural. He made a mental note to ask his new assistant to change it. He checked his email, seeing his inbox nearly busting. Every issue presented just seemed so inconsequential. Delete. Delete. Another email from Styx? Delete. Nothing else seemed to matter. Like the colors around everything else faded. His mind was only swarming around one thing. Persephone was a bright light that absorbed all his energy.

After waiting an excruciating two minutes, he pulled out his phone again and texted her.

-Dinner tonight? I was thinking we go somewhere nice.-

He immediately got an automatic message back.

-This user is in the mortal realm and cannot receive messages right now.

If this is an emergency please press 1.-

Hades clicked his mouth. In another minute he was walking down level 91, passing by Persephone's co-workers until he found her workspace.

"Hey Hades. How's it hanging." Thanatos rolled out from the other aisle. "You know. While Persephone was gone this morning, I've taken the top spot today in the--"

"Shut it." Hades held his hand up to stop him. "Do you know where she is?"

"Little pinky?" Thanatos raised his eyebrow. "Nope. Last I saw she was riding home with you yesterday."

He eyed Thanatos a moment with calm eyes then clicked his mouth again. "Does. . . does everyone know?"

"Yeah, boss. Everyone knows." Thanatos rolled back to his desk. "The sexual tension the last few weeks has been tangible. Suffocating. I had to get an inhaler. You're both terrible liars."

Hades shook his head and sighed. They've been slacking in their clandestine goals. He had been trying to protect her. Their scandal in the paper already did enough damage. It wouldn't matter. Soon, everyone would know. Soon Persephone's picture would be hanging in the lobby down below; In every office next to his; In the portrait gallery in the palace. Persephone would brighten every room her painting hung in. He patted his jacket pocket and inhaled.

That is, if she came to dinner.

He checked his phone again. What was she doing in the mortal realm?

"Thanatos." Hades paced over to his desk. "Does Persephone have an assignment in the mortal realm?"

"Shouldn't you know?"

"I don't micromanage." He huffed his cigar. "Well, not anymore."

"It's possible." Thanatos shrugged. "But I think her new assignment was managing river cleanup. You know. . . since after the whole. . . Min--"

Hades waved his hand to stop Thanatos from going on. "She wasn't supposed to be on site until tomorrow." He grumbled then checked his security feed from his garage. Two empty spots. His car and the car she took. So she left the house.

He called the doggy daycare and confirmed Russell and Cordon Bleu's arrival. The employee gushed on the phone about her and made it known he wouldn't mind if Persephone came around again to drop off his dogs in the future.

"Well. I'm sure she's fine. She can take care of herself." He finally admitted, but a seed of worry planted in his gut. Wouldn't she tell him if she went to the mortal realm?

The elevator door opened and Cerberus charged forward. His snout pulled back in a vicious snarl. All three heads out and growling. He tracked mud through the tight carpet.

"What's up, boy?" Hades knew instantly something was wrong. He thumbed the flower chain on his head. A familiar pattern. "Were you with Persephone?"

Cerberus bowed forward, leaning his head to the floor and dropped something at Hades' feet. He knelt down to pick it up. Hades twisted a single strand of barley between his fingers and then his eyes glowed red.

The wind was knocked out of him as he felt two fists pounding on his chest. No-- Not on but inside him. A beat of a heart, like a drum. A one two tap on a space between the realms that lived in him. A pounding that only he could feel like hearing wave lengths. A magic spark.

Someone was calling out to him.

No one prayed to him calmly. No one prayed to him in good times. He closed his eyes and behind his eyelids saw small pink hands hitting the floor.


	4. The Bargaining Place

On her knees, trapped in her own room, Persephone hit her hands to ground once. She raised her hands again, not knowing if this would do anything, not knowing if he would hear her, but believing that maybe, just maybe, he would find her. Then a second time, she smacked her hands down and she gasped out his name, but her words were lifted from her, no longer vibrations in the air, but light piercing through the darkness; her palms were no longer propping her up on the hard wooden floor of her old bedroom, but pressing against Hades chest. Her fingers on his soft silky suit, covering his hard chest muscles. “Hades!” She cried out, but it sounded like she spoke underwater. She couldn’t tell which way was up or down or if she was kneeling on top of him or if they were both vertical. It didn’t make sense.

Hades blinked far off in the distance, then looked down at her. Worry filled his eyebrows. He trailed a hand across her cheek but she couldn’t feel his touch. He passed through her like a ghost. A roaring like sound crashed through like a wave breaking overhead. Hades opened his mouth but the words got drowned out. The edges of her vision darkened and began to tremble.

She didn’t understand. What was happening? What is this place?

Persephone peeled her eyes away from him to stare up at her room. Her bed was on her ceiling. The window floated in the middle of the room. Nothing was where it should have been. The room’s contents were jumbled up as if shaken and suspended in thick dark liquid. As she watched, her past possession began to disintegrate into the darkness.

“What the-” Persephone said. The sound echoing back in her head. Tired of this, Persephone pulled on Hades suit, gripping his collar and hoisting him up. She used as much strength as she could muster, but the harder she pulled Hades up, the more her surroundings faded into the shadows. The light from the windows melted down into a starless midnight. The floor disappeared beneath her feet. A blue hand held her steady, catching her by surprise. She could feel him. Hades eyes were alight with a wild blue light.

“Kore.” Hades called to her. His voice echoed back “kore - ore -ore” as if speaking down a long tunnel. He brushed her long hair back away from her eyes, leaving his hand cupped around her face. “You called?” (alled-alled)

“You answered.” Persephone sighed in relief. The words didn’t come from her mouth, but she heard it clearly in her mind, cutting through the murky sensory deprivation. She threw herself into his arms, nuzzling into his chest. The warmth inside of him radiated not on her skin but inside her. “Where are we?” She didn’t even move her lips this time.

Hades’ shoulders shrugged. “It’s complicated.” (cated -ated-ated) He waved his hand and the darkness began to take shape. As if she were as light as a sheet of paper, he swung Persephone up into his arms and walked forward through the nothingness. To her, it looked like he was just walking in place. Yet around him, a room began to form out of the shadows. Shadows layered over one another to form tangible objects. By the time he stopped, he pulled out a chair from the black. A table arose and he took his seat opposite hers. “I call this The Bargaining Place.” (ace-ace)  
“Is this real?” Persephone wiped her finger along the edge of the table. Trailing shadows, like a cloud, but her finger slid along a firm surface.

“Very much so.” (o-o-o) Hades answered seriously. “And also not.” (ot-ot-ot) “Like I said it’s complicated.” (ated-ated) His arms lunged forward and took her hands up into his. “Persephone, why did you call me?” (me - e-e) A hurt look in his eyes.

Their hands wrapped up together made her feel more at ease in this peculiar space. She knew nothing would hurt her when she was with Hades. He would never let it happen and she trusted him with her immortal life. She didn’t need his protection, but she loved the way he did, like a warm blanket on a cold night.

“I made a mistake.” No air escaped her lips as she sighed. “I tried to tell Demeter. My mother.” She winced and looked up at Hades apologetically. “About us.” She smiled sadly. “I was just so happy. For the first time I feel like myself and I was always under the impression that being with someone would make you less-- make you sacrifice yourself, cutting into who you are so the other person could fit. Like two puzzle pieces. But that’s wrong.” She shook her head. Now that her words were just thoughts, she couldn’t stop them from rambling. “It’s not what we are at all. I feel free. I’m more me than I have been in a long time. I didn’t even know what that meant until we started dating. Who I was and who I am. I never have ever felt like I had to cut away pieces of myself for you. You want all of me. And fuck, I want all of me too. And you. No compromises. All your issues and scars. Your bad habits and awful cooking. I love you. And I’m so happy. And-” She felt herself start to cry, but no tears ever came. “And I just wanted my mom to know that. I just wanted my mom, who’s my best friend. The only other person who cares about me as much as you do, to know that I’ve found where I belong. That I had found my own way and that I’m happy.”

Hades’ blinked back the tears that Persephone couldn’t cry. He cleared his throat and squeezed her hand. “What happened?” (appened - appened)

“She tried to take you away from me.” Her expression, full of emotion began to melow into a blank coldness. Flickers of memory dotted her vision. Light splotches of her remembrances unfurling before her, swirling onto the surface of the table.

Like watching actors on the television screen, Persephone saw herself and her mother talking outside on the steps of her childhood home. Demeter as tall as Hades, wrapping her arms around her. Feeling just as safe and secure in those arms she knew so well.

“I want to tell you.” Persephone said with absolute conviction. Even from this distance, it was obvious that every part of her was buzzing. News that if she had kept inside herself, would make her implode. “Mamma, I’ve fallen in love.”

Watching this scene from outside herself, Persephone now saw the light dim in her mother’s eyes, her face fall, and her fist tighten.

“Why would you do such a silly thing like that?” Demeter rose up to her full height and crossed her hands at her hips. “This isn’t how I raised you.”< /p>  
“Mamma.” Persephone sighed and her whole body schlumped. “You kinda did.”

“Poppycock!” Demeter exclaimed. “Now let’s get you inside and see if I can talk some sense into you.” Demeter grabbed Persephone’s wrist and stalked off for the front entrance.

“Momma!” Persephone yanked her hand back. “Stop. You’re the one that told me to be true to myself. To not let anyone steamroll over me.” She tossed her hands out to either side of herself. “So here I am, Momma. Being true to myself. This, this right here is the person you raised me to be. And I won’t let you pressure me. Not anymore”

“Pressure you?” Demeter rolled her eyes. “You’ve only gotten where you are today, because I’ve pushed you. Because I’ve put pressure on you. If I let you grow up with every whim and desire you wanted, you’d be asleep right now in your bed with nothing in your head but noodles and a fat ass that can’t even use a hoe.”

Persephone gritted her teeth. “I’m not your child anymore, Momma.”

Demeter took a step back, stung. After a moment she leaned forward with her finger in Persephone’s face. “You will always-ALWAYS, be my child, Kore.”

“Momma.” Persephone sighed.

“Do you know where I was when I was your age?” Demeter kept going. “Do you know what I would have done to have a childhood like yours? Do you like this mortal realm? Do you know who built it? I DID. When I was your age, I was fighting not just for my life, but for thousands, tens of thousands that were counting on me. Dozens of gods and goddess were scared to do what I did, but I did it, because it had to be done and I wasn’t going to look back and regret all the ‘should haves’. I was busy putting blood sweat and tears into every ounce of daylight. Do you think I complained about the shortcomings in my life? No! I was busy creating a new world.”

“Momma,” Persephone shook her head. “I’m not saying that I’m ungrateful. Or that I wish you had raised me differently. I’m saying, I’m proud of who I am now, and because of that, I can make my own decisions. And you’re a big reason for that.” Persephone gently held her hands. “You’re the biggest inspiration I have. Everything you’ve done and accomplished, practically all on your own. It’s been my dream to work with you. You’re not just my mom, or my friend, but the person I look up to most in the world.” Persephone shared with every ounce of sincerity. “And you’re right. When you were my age, you had the weight of the world on your shoulders and I’m so glad, that you chose that mantel. But Momma. All I’m asking is that you realize, I’m the same age you were when you dismantled and put the world back in order. So I don’t need you looking over my shoulder. Not anymore. I’ve grown up.” Demeter tried to pull away, but Persephone wouldn’t let go of her mother’s hands. “And I know that’s hard for you. It’s hard for me too.” She chuckled sadly. “I remember late nights staring up at the stars as you taught me the constellations. I’d fall asleep and after some time you’d pick me up in your arms and carry me to bed. You’d kiss my forehead as you tucked me in and I knew I had nothing to worry about.”

From her seat watching the memory unfold, Persephone saw a tear fall down her mother’s face. “Oh, Kore. You were so little. I wish I could still pick you up in my arms and tuck you in.”  
“I know, momma.” Persephone nodded. “I know.” Demeter collapsed onto Persephone’s shoulders. Persephone ran her hand down her mother’s hair. “I was born in your garden.” She hummed into her hair. “You plucked me up into your life like a flower. And like a flower, I grew.”

Demeter nodded and sniffed, blinking back her teary eyes. “I did my best to prune you.”

Persephone laughed. “You did.” Slowly, Demeter arose to her full height. “But I’m a natural creature, momma. And I’ve come into my own.”

“I know. I know.” Demeter shook her head. “I knew what you were, not just a flower goddess, but a fertility goddess before you did. I think I knew this would happen. I just wanted to keep you to myself as long as I could.” She laughed sadly. “I had to try.” Demeter sat down on the porch steps and patted the spot next to her. “You’re my only daughter. My only child. I’d work so hard to build a world I was proud of and I felt like it was finally ready for you. Then one day. . .” Demeter’s eyes widened. “There you were. This small pink bundle full of life and energy, dependent on me. And I got scared.”

Persephone leaned into her mother’s shoulder. Demeter dipped her head down and kissed the crown of her daughter’s head.

Demeter continued. “I thought the world was ready for you, but the world is still corrupt and dirty. I just wanted you so badly. And with you, the world seemed brighter. You were brighter. You were the light source that made my world fresh and new. And I didn’t want to see you get tarnished, to fall into the ways of the world.”

It occured to Persephone that Demeter never got over the wars. That her life was a constant battle and every decision played out into schemes and tactics to win.

Persephone snuggled closer to her mother. “I’m still your little girl, momma. Just not so little.”

Demeter raised her eyebrows.

“Okay, I’m still little, but I’m not THAT little.” She laughed and released her arms. “Also, I’m not just a girl now. I’m a woman.” She stared at her hands, feeling Demeter’s eyes appraise her.

Demeter said objectively, “Yes. You are a woman now.”

“It hasn’t been easy. It’s been a really hard struggle, but it’s been my struggle and I couldn’t do it with you.”

“What do you mean?” Demeter curled a loch of pink hair around her finger. “Did someone hurt you?”

Persephone pushed Demeter’s hand away. “A dozen times over.” She sighed. “It is a dirty and corrupt world.” She felt the anger start to boil under her mother’s green skin. “It’s okay, momma. You fought your own battles. And I fought mine. And we both became who we are now because of it.” Persephone stared at her hands again, not sure if she should continue. “You tried to hide me from the world. To protect me from it.” She bit her lip. “So, when I faced it on my own, I didn't know what I was dealing with. It kind of put me at a disadvantage.”

“You shouldn’t have had to face it alone.” Tension in her mother’s voice. “You shouldn’t have had to face it at all.”

“No,” Persephone shook her head. “I did. I mean. I had friends and I had support but I had to handle it for me, by myself.” She leaned back and stared off at the large barn to the west. “You know, when I was seven years old, I was playing with my powers and I started hatching eggs. One of the eggs just sort of kept bumping. The chick inside wasn’t breaking out of it’s egg and I thought it needed help. I thought it would die in there. So I grabbed a fork from the kitchen and pecked at the egg, making enough room for the chick to come out.” Persephone closed her eyes. “It wouldn’t come out so I pulled it through. It’s fuzzy hair was all wet and I set it down on the ground next to his brothers and sisters and I thought I had really done something special for it.” As she paused, a silent tear fell down her cheek. “It died not one hour later. It wasn’t strong enough to survive. It needed to break out on its own. It needed that struggle to learn how to live. I got it backwards. I was so wrong that day.” Persephone shook her head, breaking free from the memory. “So yes, I struggled. I became stronger. I learned how to fly. I learned how to live. And you couldn’t teach me that.”

Persephone couldn’t tell what Demeter was thinking. She just choked back something down her throat. Her fist clenched and unclenched. “I should have been there for you.”

“Momma, you were always there for me. At every turn. At every decision, you were there with me. You’re my night sky, momma.”

“Oh, precious child.”

Persephone took in a deep breath and exhaled. “But that’s not why I came here. I didn’t come to tell you I’ve gone through some shit. I didn’t come to tell you about the battles I’ve faced while I’ve been gone. I won them all, just so you know.”

“Atta girl.”

“Momma, I came here . . . because I just. . . I just can’t keep it to myself anymore. After all I’ve been through the last few months, I’ve found happiness. And I--”

“With a boy?” Demeter raised her eyebrows.

“With a man.” Persephone corrected.

“Hmpf.” Demeter sneered, but she was wasn’t as hostile to the idea as before. “No man is good enough for you.”

Hades whispered, “She’s got a good point.” (point - oint- oint)

Persephone jumped from her shadowy chair, forgetting where she was, so transfixed on the memory playing out on the table. “I didn’t know you could see this too.” Persephone whispered back. As Hades was about to reply, “It’s my--” she shushed him so they could hear the rest of the conversation.

“You know, I suppose it was hypocritical of me to want you to be an eternal maiden. I’ve been in love before too, you know.” Demeter leaned back on her elbows.

“Really?” Persephone perked up.

“Not sure love is the right word. But I will admit the company of men. . . is. . . nice sometimes.” Demeter shrugged.

“Momma, you slut.” Persephone laughed.

“Hey.” Demeter threw her hand up in warning. “I’m still your mother.”

“But you’ve never loved?”

“I saw what love did to my friends. To those around me.” Demeter explained. “I never wanted to appear so foolish. Bitchy and callous, yes. Stern and angry, sure. But never a fool.”

Persephone fiddled her fingers. It was her own fear as well, passed on like an inheritance.

“I’d seen what the end of love does. Man needs crops and food to survive, but not even that will sustain a person with a broken heart.” She tenderly stroked her daughter’s cheek. “I never wanted to see you hurt like that. So I thought, it best if you never got the chance to fall. I hoped you would understand. That you would follow my lead.”

“I’m not you, momma.”

“I see that now.” Demeter gritted her teeth. “And I was a fool to think that.” She took a deep breath. “My daughter. My young baby girl. . . in love.” She smiled down at Persephone. “So, should I start building on to the house? I could make your room bigger. They’ll have to be rules in place of course. But our house is big enough for an extra. Maybe more, if you decide to have children.”

“Wh-what?” Persephone blinked. “Woah. Momma. Huh?”

“Well, first comes love.” Demeter teased. “Then comes marriage. Then comes. . . how does it go, something something baby carriage.”

“Oh geez.”

“What?” Demeter shrugged light heartedly. “Isn’t it how that goes?”

“Momma, if-” Persephone laid out. “If we decide to get married. I can’t stay here, obviously.”

“And why the Tartarus not?”

“Precisely.” Persephone sighed.

“Oh, you don’t think the house is big enough? I knew sending you to Olympus would mess with your head. All those mansions and palaces. Well, I’ll build you two a new house passed the corn fields. How about that?”

“Momma.” Persephone held her hands up. “I--. It won’t be possible. He can’t move here.”

Demeter raised her eyebrows. “I don’t--. What-- you don’t want to? You don’t want to live with me?”

“Gods, could you imagine?” (agine-agine)

“Well,” Persephone hesitated then decided to pick her battles. “It’s that. . . he already has. . . a house. A few actually.” She shifted her gaze to her lap, fidgeting with the edge of her dress. “And, I mean, if we get married, which we might not, and that’s fine, but if we do. . . things will be different. I won’t live on the mortal realm.”

“Of course you’ll live on the mortal realm. You’re the goddess of spring. You’re needed here.”  
“I knew you wouldn’t like this.”

Demeter huffed and slammed her fist so hard on the steps, they cracked. “So, you’ll be staying on Olympus then? Gods, I knew I shouldn’t have sent you to that school. You know, there’s a reason I left Olympus.”  
“Momma.” Persephone began to sweat.

“Well, it’s not the worst place in the world.” Demeter juggled it in her mind. “I don’t like it, but at least it’s not Hades.”

“Ouch.” (ouch-ouch-ouch)

“Momma.” Persephone exhaled a shaky breath and grabbed her mother’s arm. “Momma, stop before you say something you’ll regret.” She stared at her mother’s face, her resolve strengthening. “It’s not Olympus.”

“Persephone, what are you talking about?” Demeter’s voice lost it’s light heartedness.

“It’s not just some man that I’ve fallen in love with.” Persephone braced herself.

“Persephone.” Demeter breathed, her name sounded like a warning. The harvest goddess turned away from her daughter out to the field. The chariot Persephone entered on. Four black horses gnawing gently at the tall grains. How had she not put it together sooner. She came to her house, looking for him. But instead found Persephone.

His dog. His horses. His chariot.

Slowly, Demeter turned towards her daughter, her face the color of horror. “No.” Demeter stood up suddenly. “No.” She shook her head. “I forbid it. Absolutely not.”

“Momma, calm down.”

“I will NOT calm down.” Demeter seethed. “I will not allow this. Not him.”

“Momma, I love him.”

“NO.” Demeter yanked Persephone’s arm and stomped up the steps towards the house. “No.”

“Momma. He’s a good man. He’s a good--”

“I don’t want to hear it.” She burst through the door.

“Momma, let go. You’re hurting me.”

On the shadowy table, Persephone began to rub her head, feeling the stinging tinges of the broken mirror still lingering here.

“Not him, Persephone. Not him.”

“It is him.”

“You wanna fall in love? Fine. Fine!” Demeter screeched. “Fall in love. Get hurt. Wake up with an empty bed and a swollen belly with some dumb jerk’s baby if you want to. A lousy mortal, even. Fuck hundreds of them if you want to.” She dragged Persephone into the kitchen, keeping her grip on Persephone’s arm as she ravaged through the cabinets. “You like Kings? You know what, fuck Poseidon. He’d love that. Fuck Zeus if you must. But NOT him.”

Hades rolled his eyes. “Yeesh.” (eesh-eesh)

Demeter pulled some dried herbs from a large glass container down and then marched over to her stone mortar and pestle.

“Momma, be reasonable.”

Demeter swirled around. “Reasonable? It’s just you and me, baby girl, and I AM the reasonable one in this kitchen. What, you just want me to watch you go into the underworld. Into the realm of the dead? You are a sunflower, not a shade wrangler. You’re a bright spot of life and you have NO BUSINESS. NONE. in the underworld and if you think I’m gonna let Hades get his grabby hands on you, you know nothing.”

“But, Momma, what about all that talk of indepence and-”

“I am your mother. You must obey me, and I forbid you from ever seeing Hades again. Do you understand?”

“You can’t--”

“Hades may have absolute rule over the dead. But the dead don’t make decisions.” She began to grind up the ingredients she pulled from the cabinets. “You know who mortals depend on? ME. And if I’m not happy. Their not happy. And when they’re not happy, Zeus isn’t happy. And Zeus will do whatever they say to get them off his back, so he can get back to fucking around. And then you’ll stay with me. As it should be. It’s only right. It’s what you were born for. You’re to stay with me.”

“Momma.” Persephone tried to pull away. “Momma, you’re scaring me.”

“I’m sorry baby, but this is for your own good. My precious child, I’ll fix this.” Demeter dipped her fingers into the bowl. “You’ll forget about him. It’ll be like it never happened and we can go back to how it used to be. Doesn’t that sound nice? Just us against the world. Just like it should be. And you’ll forget about the pain of heartbreak. You’ll forget you were in love. You’ll forget Hades.”

“STOP.”

“It’s for the best. Because otherwise, I won’t be able to stand to look at the sadness on your face. I’m protecting you, like I’ve always been doing.”

“Let me GO.”

“I can’t. I won’t. I let you go before, and that’s when everything went wrong. I’ll never let you go again.” Demeter held her hand over Persephone’s mouth and nostrils, covered in the special paste she made.

The table went black. The memory faded.

Persephone held her head in her hands. Her breath was shallow and quick.

“Kore?” (Kore-ore-ore) Hades whispered softly. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” (orry-orry-orry)

“I woke up in my room. I had the strangest dream.” The blue flower in the field. “I think it was about you, but I couldn’t remember. My brain was trying to get me to remember.” She stared off into the black surroundings. “She’ll never let us be together.” Persephone said knowingly. “I’ll never be able to go back to you.” She spoke as if sealing her own fate. “She’ll do it. You saw the look in her eyes. She’ll murder thousands of people before she’ll let us be happy.”

“I won’t let her.” Hades stood up from the table and began pacing. The shadows leaned towards him as he walked. “I’ll think of something.” (ing-ing)

Persephone shook her head. “She’s smart. She’ll use Zeus.”

“The good news is that Zeus is on my side for once.” Hades tapped his chin.

“Can’t--” Persephone tilted her face. “Can’t you take me with you, from here? Can’t you take me back to the Underworld?” She motioned around the place.

Hades face turned long and grave. “No, Persephone. I can’t take you back with me.” (me-e-e)

She stood up and the shadowy chair disappeared underneath her. “Why not? This is your own dimension isn’t it? Please. It’ll be--”

“No, Persephone. I cannot take you back with me this way.” He held her face in his hands. “This place,” He paused. “When you called me this way, I was confused and so worried. The only people who call on me are ready to end their life. The people who meet me in The Bargaining Place are trying to trade their lives for something else, usually for someone else already in my kingdom. I had thought, only for a second, that you were--” Hades shook his head. “No matter. The only way to go back with me here, is through death.” (death-eath-eath)

“Oh.” Persephone nuzzled her face into his chest.

“You cannot die, little one. You cannot follow me.” Hades kissed the top of her head. “At least not through here. But don’t worry. I’ll figure out another way.” (ay-ay-ay)

“So, how do I go back?”

Hades pointed towards a pale grey horse. It’s eyes as red as rubies. It’s legs as thin as a skeleton.

“Fuck. How long has that been there?”

Hades chuckled. “Ride that horse. It will take you out of here, back to where you called for me.

“No. I don’t want to leave.”

“We both have to at some point. This isn’t a permanent place. I’ll think of something. I’ll come for you.”

Persephone’s mind raced. A small idea the size of a seed began to grow. “Does. . . does my magic work here?” Persephone held her hands out.

“I’m not sure. Does it?” Hades tilted his head. So many of Persephone’s abilities had astounded him in the underworld. Like it had already accepted her as its own. Curiously, he watched Persephone grow a seedling out from the darkness, which grew into a sapling. It’s edges layered in shadows, but it was not of the shadows.

“Persephone?” (ephone- ephone) Hades stepped towards her.

The sapling grew bigger. More and more into a strong tree every second.

“I think I know a way around my mother.” Persephone announced with a tremendous amount of focus. “I used to read old archaic and outdated laws for fun.” The tree’s branches reached out to them like fingers. “You know. The old laws, that never got officially thrown out, but no one pays attention to anymore. Like, how women can’t drive without a man waving a white flag in front of her.”

“Um.” (um-um) Hades frowned, not following.

“Well, there’s one about you.” Persephone reached up and from the branch in front of her plucked its fruit.

“What is that?” (at-at)

“This.” Persephone tossed a dark red pomegranate into Hades’ hands. “This is a loophole.”

He stared at it blankly, turning the pomegranate over. “And what exactly do you want me to do with this?” (this-is)

Persephone grinned wickedly. “I want you to take a bite. And then I want you to kiss me.”


	5. Thunder before Lightening

A metal click announced a key sliding in a lock. The door to Persephone's room opened and Demeter stepped through.

"Kore, dear?" She greeted lightly. A sweet nurturing smile on her green face.

Persephone pressed a fist to her lips, swallowing quickly. Then carefully, she yawned and turned towards her mother. "Hey. What time is it?"

"It's the middle of the afternoon." Worry lines creased her mother's forehead.

"Oh." Persephone stretched her fingers out and then eyed her hand curiously. Her whole body felt fuzzy, like white noise on an empty TV channel. She snapped her fingers and sensation bled back into her body.

"How are you feeling?" Demeter knelt down next to her on the floor and felt her daughter's forehead. At first Persephone flinched back, but then let her mother soothe her.

"I'm alright." She muttered and stared at the cracks in the floorboard. Somewhere down below Hades was following the plan. Hades. She breathed, already missing him. Determination rang through her.

She looked back up with a smile on her face. "It sounds crazy, but you know. I-I can't remember how I got here." She scratched her head. "I was. . . I was-" She winced for effect.

"Oh sweetie. I fetched you from school, don't you remember? You sent Hermes to tell me you were home-sick." Demeter stroked Persephone's hair softly. Tenderness in her fingertips; Lies on her tongue.

"Oh." Persephone barely kept herself from rolling her eyes at her mother's concoction. "Oh, yes." She rubbed her forehead again. "I think I do remember that." She said quietly. In her head, she began to make a list of all the lies her mother would have to tell her to keep this up. It might come in handy.

"Momma, why was the door locked?" Persephone veered towards giving away too much, but she couldn't let her mother get away with everything.

"Oh? Did I? Oh, I'm sorry. It's a habit I obtained while you were gone. The flower nymphs kept trying to sneak into your room at night so I - well, I started locking your door. They missed you terribly, you know. All day, they kept pestering me: ' when is Kore coming back, where is Kore? When will Kore come home?' I'd rather them break into your room. Their same line of questioning was torture." Demeter got up to her feet and held out a hand for Persephone.

"They'll be so glad to have you back. I'm actually preparing a little celebration tonight."

"Momma." Persephone bit her lip.

"I know. I know you don't like a crowd, but believe me, it's better if we get this out of the way now or it will be months of 'did you know Kore is back?' and 'why haven't i seen her yet?'" Demeter laughed out the side of her mouth. "Don't worry. If I remember correctly, they're all your friends. Won't it be nice to see them all again? Come on, let me show you what I've got so far." Demeter led her to the foyer with an arm wrapped around her shoulder.

Draped below the banister hung a huge banner, made of potato sack material that read in bright yellow letters, "Welcome Home Kore!" The paint from the letters was still drying, glinting off sunlight.

"Momma." Persephone edged. "That's not my name." Even without the threat of Hades, she needed to draw a line in the sand. Even without Hades, Persephone wasn't the same woman as the little tulip frolicking in the garden. "I'm Persephone." She reminded Demeter.

Demeter deflated. Her lips twitched. "It's not the name I gave you."

"No. It's the name I earned." Persephone responded flatly.

"Well, the nymphs know you by Kore." She reasoned.

"Then they should get to know me again." Persephone reached her hand up towards the banner. The air filled with magic, then poking through the course material, flowers began to bloom in a peculiar pattern. By the time she was finished, she had over written "Kore" with a symphony of dazzling colored violets and peonies to spell out Persephone.

Her mother admired her work and sighed. "You are my daughter, no denying that."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Persephone beamed.

"Persephone." Demeter sounded out every syllable and vowel, over enunciating it until it sounded preposterous. "I never liked that name." Demeter disapproved. "Too sinister. 'Persephone' is a name that sounds like a threat. Like the beat of a war drum. It's not what I envisioned for my ray of sunflower-my dainty daisy." Demeter cooed embarrassingly, wagging a finger at Persephone as if she were a baby.

"Ugh," Persephone exhaled. "Well I like it. It makes people take me more seriously than. . . maiden." Persephone hissed out the term. The glint on the "Welcome Home" paint began to fade as the light from the windows darkened. "Anyone can be a maiden. It has no power behind it."

Demeter huffed and straightened out her robe. "I don't want to argue about this again."

"I don't either." Persephone folded her arms across her chest. The only day Helios stood still. A shiver ran down Demeter's spine.

"That was our first fight." Demeter remembered the day, about a year or two ago.

"It was our last fight." Persephone nodded, thinking of it too. At least, the last fight before my memory was unsuccessfully erased.

The day that, looking back, planted the seed. The day her name changed and altered the course of her life. Veered it away from the one so carefully planned. Neither of them realizing it until now. The reason she became unhappy and unfulfilled. The reason Hera helped her leave the mortal realm. The reason she moved in with Artemis. It all boiled down to that day. When she became known as the destroyer of light.

As if on cue, dark clouds completely overshadowed the sun. Rain began to pour down, bouncing off the tin roof. Loud enough to cover the remaining thoughts of Persephone's name.

"I hope this wasn't going to be an outside party." Persephone turned towards the window, not keeping her smirk hidden very well as fat raindrops plopped like arrows onto the porch.

"Oh, drat." Demeter sighed. "Well. A little rain never hurt anybody. Come on, we LOVE rain." She tried to get Persephone to join her side as she headed for the door, but Persephone didn't sway. "What's the matter with you? It's just a little rain." With two hands she swung open the double doors. Blustering wind slammed the doors back on its hinges, nearly cracking the side windows. Tumultuous rain slanted in sideways, dampening the doormat. In the distance rolling thunder growled from the heavens. Almost animalistic.

Demeter struggled to close the door against the wind.

"Momma." Persephone raised her voice to be heard over the storm. "Momma, I have something to say." Persephone stood bravely, bracing herself against the downpour, paying no mind to the spray of rain kicking up. Demeter tried to close the door back, but struggled against the wind.

"I thought we were really making progress." Persephone's voice raised, but she wasn't yelling. "I thought we were understanding each other."

"What?" Demeter asked.

"I remember everything." Persephone looked up at her mother, completely heartbroken. "Momma, I remember it all."

Demeter let the door swing back, stunned. Her face dragged down into shock and guilt. "No." She whimpered. "No. My sweet child, you have to understand-"

A blinding light speared down to the earth in a chaotic pattern. Fingers of light flashing, turning the scenery in the background into out of focus shadows. Thunder cracked so loudly the house trembled. Somewhere in the kitchen a vase crashed to the floor with the rumble.

Steam rose where the lightning hit and Zeus stepped forward drenched in righteous light.

Zeus marched through Demeter's wide open doors. She glowered at him. "Zeus, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Her words mangled out behind her clenched teeth.

Ignoring her, he walked further in. "Persephone, are you alright?" He walked with determination. His face was cast in a stony strength. Persephone had never seen him carry himself like this. This wasn't the Zeus at the pool part two weeks ago. Or the Zeus that made those rowdy jokes at dinner the other day. He moved like a hammer - the perfect amount of counter balance. This was the Zeus that took down the Titans. This was the god of gods.

"Of course she's fine!" Demeter blocked him. "Why wouldn't she be?"

He caught Persephone's eyes. "Are you okay?" He asked again, even tempered.

Persephone nodded. "Yea, I'm alright."

"You have no right to be here." Demeter interrupted. "You can't just come barreling into someone's house unannounced." Her agitation grew and then spiked to a point. "GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY DAUGHTER!"

Persephone walked with Zeus up the foyer. He guided her towards the door with both hands on her bare shoulders. Though known for his many sordid affairs, his sexual exploits, and infidelity, what the gossip columns and tabloid magazines don't like to see splashed across their front covers was the side of Zeus that protected the innocent, that sheltered the refugee, and stood up for equality. He was many things and not all of it sold papers.

Persephone talked quietly to Zeus as they passed Demeter, who absolutely seeped in rage. "That was much faster than I imagined. I thought I'd have to keep stalling." She muttered quietly.

"News travels fast. Especially when the messenger is your son." He winked at Persephone, setting her at ease.

"You better get your ears cleaned out." Demeter backed up alongside them. "I said get your no good hands off my-"

"Momma, you're embarrassing yourself." Persephone shook her head in disappointment. This gave her no delight. This gave Persephone no satisfaction. This was the hard part. As they neared the door, the sky became clear again. The rain dissipated and the storm subsided. She stopped and turned towards her mother.

"STOP!" Demeter flung herself, blocking the exist. "This is my house, on my land. That is my daughter. You have no authority here, bird boy. And I will not let you take my daughter."

"Persephone?" Zeus asked cooly.

"Yes?"

"Do you wish to exit this house?"

"Yes."

"Very well." He nodded then swiveled to her mother. "Demeter, it seems you are intent on obstructing your daughter from doing so. Yes?" He waited half a second for a reply then continued on. "I thought as much. Demeter, do you wish to add attempted kidnapping to the discussion?" He raised his eyebrow. "It doesn't bode well in your favor. We can squabble back and forth all you'd like. I know it's your favorite pastime, but if you would please, move out of the way."

"Discussion?" Demeter questioned.

Zeus nodded, a flicker of a grin on his face. "After you, old friend." He gestured towards the door.

Demeter hiked up her robe and angrily swung around outside. But her feet didn't land on the worn porch steps. Her damp foot slipped on marble floors.

They arrived inside a dimly lit temple. Torches hung on every column, casting shadows between the warm light that bounced up from the slick marble floors and wall.

Demeter turned back towards Zeus with fire in her eyes, then marched over, taking her place next to the podium.

Zeus huffed, eying his throne at the end. He already felt his back preemptively aching from the lack of lower back support. "Mmm. How about. . ." He snapped his fingers and suddenly they were in a modern conference room.

Thetis swiveled around from her desk and waved at them through the fishbowl glass wall. The other wall faced outside. The windows were shuttered, but an open door led to a hanging veranda. A long marble table set in the middle of the room, with high back chairs surrounding it. A string of smoke piped up from one of the high back chairs. The chair turned slowly, swiveling towards the newcomers. Hades held a cigar and wore an expression like murder.

"Zeus. Demeter." He nodded curtly in greeting, but his eyes were only on Persephone.

Persephone smiled, looking up at him even though he was sitting. And she felt lighter already at just the sight of him. She broke apart from Zeus and skipped towards him. Hades met her in the middle. Throwing his cigar behind him and leaping towards her. They paused a foot apart from each other, painfully aware of their circumstances. Prudently, Hades reached out a single hand, his face twisting up with complex emotions. Persephone nearly grabbed on to him before Demeter moved Persephone out of the way, as if to shield her from him.

"Long time, no see." Hades spoke as civily as he could under the circumstances. Demeter stepped even closer to him. They stood eye to eye. Their hands at their hips. Both of them tried to tower over the other, but doing so unsuccessfully. She never replied, but Demeter said all that she wanted with her eyes.

While they continued their standoff, Zeus took his place at the head of the table and sighed contentedly at the adjusted settings. Stone thrones looked cool, but phew, they did a hellish number on the ole joints.

"Thetis." Zeus zoomed over and tapped on the glass wall. "Can you take the minutes, please?"

His assistant sashayed in, swinging her curly hair over her shoulder. "Sure thing, boss." She sat down at the other end of the table with her tablet in hand.

"Now." Zeus pulled on a pair of horn rimmed glasses. Short-sightedness running in the family. "Let's get right into it, shall we?" He perused over a document in front of him.

"How dare you." Hades muttered darkly. "If you weren't Persephone's own mother, the horrors I would do to you in punishment for what you did-"

Demeter battered her eyelashes unphased. "Hermes." She called. Three seconds later a red boy tumbled in through the veranda.

"Hey guys!" He waved. His sneakers hovered an inch above the ground. "Yo, wassup, homegirl." Hermes fluttered over to Demeter.

"Hermes, can you please deliver a message for me?" She said evenly, smiling up at her favorite package delivery boy.

"Anything for you. But also yes, that is my job." Hermes agreed cheerily.

"Please tell Hades that he can stick his long nose up my ass."

Hermes closed his mouth for the first time in three months then swiveled on his heels. "Hades. I have a message from Demeter. She says you can stick your long nose up her ass." He twiddled his thumbs uncomfortably.

"Thank you, Hermes." He rolled his eyes. "Demeter. What you did was unconscionable. Your daughter is her own person. You can't just lock her away and keep her like she's a set of china. What's wrong with you?"

Demeter licked her teeth. "Hermes, please tell Hades that I'm sorry for thinking that a 2000 year old king maybe, just maybe has better things to do than chase after a young and impressionable 19 year old."

Hermes opened his mouth.

Hades stopped him. "I heard it, Hermes. I'm right here."

Hermes flew finger guns at him. "Still gotta say it. It's the rules."

"No." Zeus shook his head. "No, it quite literally is not." Hermes repeated Demeter's words regardless.

Hades held his head in his hand. "I know that." He sighed. "Demeter, believe me. We're actually on the same page here. I didn't want to chase her because I didn't want her to accept my advances, because if she did I would never know if it was for me, or if she felt obligated. I never wanted her to feel like she had to accept me. I never wanted to put her in that position. Believe me, I tried to turn her away from me. I tried to give her escape routes. I kept waiting for her to run." He relaxed a little back into the chair, seeing that Demeter was thrown off. "I wasn't the one that chased."

Demeter shook her head and finally turned to Persephone. "Is it true?"

She nodded.

"Why?" Demeter asked. "Persephone, you could have a whole field to pick from. Hades is cruel and dark."

"Hermes." Persephone sighed. "Can you please tell my mother that Hades is the kindest soul I've met, the only other intelligent person I've matched with, and he just gets me."

Demeter scoffed. "Is that all it takes? Then I shouldn't be worried, you'll fall in love with the next sally-whos-it that walks through."

Zeus cleared his throat. "I believe, with these transcripts, Demeter said and I quote 'You know what, fuck Poseidon. He'd love that. Fuck Zeus if you must.'" Zeus set down his glasses. "I mean, if that's still on the table, I would like to revisit-"

Hades slapped Zeus across the face. "Fuck off."

"Moving on." Zeus nodded, not taking any offense. "Look, we can go back and forth like this all day. Demeter doesn't want it. Got that. I would like to address something." He switched to a different page in front of him. "Demeter, you gave your daughter a forgetful drug, locked her in her room, and tried to convince her that she wanted to stay home."

Demeter shifted uncomfortably. "Look, that sounds bad."

"It is bad." Persephone crossed her arms across her chest.

"Yes. Yes. I will admit, that was a mistake." Demeter shook her head. "You don't understand. Persephone can't-"

"I can't what?" She leaned across the table. "Think for myself? Momma, you taught me how to think for myself. You taught me how to use my head, think through problems-"

"Then you know that if you continue seeing Hades, you will have severe problems."

"Like what?"

"First of all, you'll be in darkness all day."

Persephone rolled her eyes. "Momma. I like it. It feels quiet and safe there. And it's not always so dark. And even then, I'm just 15 minutes car ride from Olympus."

"You have other duties required on the mortal realm." Demeter countered.

"Momma, I know that's not true. You chose to work on the mortal realm because that was your choice, but no other god has to perform his duties there. Neither do I."

"You're nineteen-"

"And I'm immortal with a good head on my shoulders. What, you want me to wait until I'm. . . 30? Till I'm 100? What age do I have to be for you to think that this is okay?"

Demeter didn't quite know how to answer it. "Well, but-"

Persephone slammed her hand on the table. "Why are you trying to come up with excuses? You know you don't have a good reason for us not to be together."

"Because I wanted him first." Demeter spat out hurriedly, then clamped her hand to her mouth and her eyes widened.

Persephone lowered back into her chair. "Oh."

Hades blinked. "Excuse me?"

Demeter deflected into the chair. "That's not what I meant-"

"Yes it is." Zeus nodded. "You wanted to fuck my brother. Oh my god." A big smile spread on his face. "That's why you always argued with him. Because you don't know how to flirt. You were trying to wrestle but in a sexy way."

"Well. I'm very uncomfortable." Persephone swirled around in her chair. "Love this. This is fun. Totally what I was expecting to find out." She popped up out of the chair and headed for the door. "I'm getting some water."

"There's water on the table." Thetis offered.

"No, thank you." Persephone declined. "I need to dip my whole head under a faucet." She marched out of the room.

"Listen." Demeter tried to take back what she said. "I argued because Hades was a stupid idiot that had really stupid ideas." Sweat pooled on her forehead.

"And you wanted to kiss his stupid face. Oh my gods, and that's why you fought all the time. You were upset that he never approached you." Zeus grinned wickedly. "Ohh drama in the high six."

"Hermes." Hades looked up from his hands. His face was emotionless and careful. "I'll give you one of my cars, if you don't leak this to the press."

"Deal!" Hermes grabbed a pen and paper. "Imma need that in writing though."

Demeter looked at Hades with a reluctant gratefulness as Hades swore Hermes to secrecy.

"I'm not doing this for you." Hades muttered. "I'm doing it for Persephone." He turned to Zeus. "You too, bird boy." He passed the non-disclosure agreement towards his brother.

"I don't care what you think." Hades continued. "I don't care about what you may or may not have felt about me. The only person who has ever tugged on my heart strings is that precious pink woman. Persephone is staying with me."

"Over my dead body." Demeter hissed.

"Ah, back to normal then." Zeus folded his hands across his lap.

"You can't have her." Demeter continued.

"Oh, but I can."

"I won't allow it."

"You'll have to." A wicked grin played at his lips. "She's eaten my fruit."

Demeter pushed back, repulsed. "Is that a gross euphemism the kids say these days?"

Zeus shrugged. Hermes shook his head. "No. No, kids aren't saying that."

Hades pulled out an old scroll, held it up so it fell to the floor. "Here." He pointed. "Section 9, Paragraph 6, Line 3: Whoever eats of the fruits of Hades shall remain in his Kingdom indefinitely."

"That's bullshit." Demeter stood up and slammed her palms on the table. "That's rubbish."

"Let me see that." Zeus reached for the scroll and read through it to himself.

"My fruit is the Pomegranate. Persephone ate one of my pomegranates." Hades shrugged. "So that, settles that. Persephone is leaving with me."

Zeus looked up from the scroll. "I mean. Sure, sure." He giggled. "I did write this into law. . . mmm maybe 1800 years ago. But uh," He shook his head thinking better of it. "Yeah, no, she ate the fruit. So uh, she stays with Hades. That checks." Zeus bit his lip.

"What?" Demeter eyed him curiously.

"Well." He shrugged. "I mean, this was a bit of a joke."

"Hah." Demeter pointed at Hades. "You don't have any kind of claim on my daughter."

"It was more of a joke on Hades being lonely." Zeus tapped his fingers together, guilty. "So, I wrote down that whoever sucked his nuts would have to stay with him."

"Oh my gods." Hades smacked his forehead. "You're a fucking idiot."

"Rules are rules, though." Persephone came back in the room with a cup of water in her hands. "I did eat his fruit. And I have sucked his nuts, so I don't see the problem here."

Zeus held out a hand to high five Hades. When he left him hanging, Zeus turned to Hermes. Hermes flew up in the air and completed the high five over Demeter's head. "Alright, yes." Zeus pumped his fist in the air.

Demeter shook her head, ignoring the last 30 seconds. "No. This is not a viable law."

"Demeter." Hades sighed. "Demeter, old friend."

"Don't." She tensed up. "Don't call me that. You can't talk me into this. No tricks. No gimmicks."

"Agreed. Forget the rules. Forget the drama." Hades stood up. "We were tired of hiding. We were tired of not being able to tell people that we were together. This isn't just a fling. Or a hook-up. Demeter, I love your daughter. And I will watch the world burn, if that means that we can be together." He didn't speak with any malice. But he spoke with a depth that surprised even Persephone. "I do have a claim on your daughter. She has a claim on me. And I've been waiting for the right moment, but there's not going to be one." He turned to Persephone. "I'm sorry for leaving you this morning. I just, I told you I had something important I had to do." He pulled a small black box from his pocket. He hesitated for a moment, his eyes staring off and then roaming over to Persephone, finding the strength. "When I was a child, I made something for my mother. S-s-s-she liked it when I created things." He paused and the room didn't dare interrupt him. No one mentions Rhea without reverence. "When. . . when I was a-a-a-alone, this was all I had with me. It was small, but my mother loved them and that kept me going."

Persephone reached out to him. But when her finger touched his arm he fell to his knee. "The only woman I've ever loved was my mother. And then I met you, Persephone and everything changed." He swallowed. His hand shook as he opened up the box. Inside was a small ring with brightly colored jewels placed around it. "It doesn't look like m-m-much." He breathed lightly. "But it's the most valuable thing I have." He looked up at her, completely unsure of her answer and dreadfully terrified of it. "Persephone, if you'll have me- I want you to have this. If you'll accept me, I want you to wear this as a symbol of my love. So that, no matter where you are, you'll know that I love you." He broke down in tears. "Persephone, will you marry me?"

Slowly, Persephone wiped away a tear on his cheek. "You're crying."

"That's not an answer." Hades sighed, his hand still shaking. "I promise, I promise to be a good king. I promise to be a better husband. If you'll be my queen; If you'll be my wife."

She bent down and kissed his cheek, sweetly. "Yes." She whispered. "Yes." She kissed him again. She sat on his bent leg and wrapped her arm around him and leaned her forehead against hers. "'I'll be your wife, if you'll be my husband."

He kissed her lips, charged with a heightened energy. She said yes. She blushed at his urgency. She wanted more but prudently pulled back. "Can I try it on?"

"Oh! Yes. Yes." Hades shook his head, a weight lifted off his chest and he felt like he was flying. "Here." He pulled the ring out and slid it on Persephone's finger.

"I love it." Persephone admired her hand, the sparkling gems reflected Hades angles back up at her.

"You do?"

"I do. I really do." Persephone beamed a smile that stretched across her whole face.

Hades pulled her up into another kiss and stood up, swinging her around.

Demeter watched them with a blank expression on her face. She turned towards Zeus who pulled out a pocket square, and wiped something out of his eye. "Dusty in here." He muttered. His thoughts led to his mother too. His thoughts also led to his own wife.

"I'll leave now." Demeter bowed her head. "I'm going home. I know when the match is up." A cold air blew with her words. "Tell her, she's made her choice. Tell her not to come back." Demeter walked towards the veranda, turned into a crow and flew far away. A chill followed after her.


End file.
